Not Quite A Hero
by RadicalRae
Summary: Fed up with being the odd man out, Hiro decides he's better off on his own and leaves the DWMA, with help from Stein. Almost a year later, he returns, but he's not quite the same anymore...And he's not alone. Rated for Language.
1. Chapter 1

**I know this has been done a million times, I just wanted to do my own take on it as a fun side project when I have the time. I own nothing except Roukia and Matsiki, who'll we will meet in chapter 2. Maybe. :)**

Hiro, had, once, considered himself to be absolutely fearless.

Now, watching the other DWMA students train with their partners, he himself alone, he found that there was a black hole of _terror_ in his heart. He was terrified of being on his own. He was terrified that he'd never find a partner that he could resonate with. He was terrified...what if he never got anywhere in life, what if he _never_ found his place?

Even Maka Albarn, star of the school, had said he was just ordinary, shabby. He was plain. He was a nobody.

And, God, she was right.

The blond turned away from the other students, shoving his hands into his pockets. He felt so stupid for believing for so long that he could be like Black*Star and Maka and Death the Kid. Looking at them now, watching them train and joke around with each other, he couldn't help but still want to be a part of their group.

"You'll get there one day." He jumped, jerking his head towards professor Stein. The older meister placed a heavy hand on Hiro's shoulder, casting the wary blond a stiff smile. "Might not be today..."

"Thanks, but I don't think me being a meister is meant to be. I can't resonate with anyone, and no one wants to even try anymore." Pain coiled in his chest, gripping his heart in a vice like grip, and Hiro wished he couldn't believe his own words, but one can't battle against the truth. "I'm not cut out for this."

He motioned to the other students, to the actually successful people there. He wasn't like them, not even close. Why try when he knew there was no point? He'd rather try and find his purpose somewhere else, out in the world where he could maybe make a difference. Here he was utterly useless.

"I'd like to just disappear for a while. I've always wanted to go to France."

"Perhaps you should disappear." Stein sighed, letting his hand drop to his side. "I'll get you a plane ticket."

"Proffesor Stein? A-are...are you serious? What about my school work?"

"You can do it when you get back."

Hiro smiled up at the older male, the pain in his chest lifting just that much. Stein hadn't said it, but Hiro could always come back. He always had Death City to return to.

Hiro was packed, he had his plane ticket to Paris in his hand, and no one would miss him. Except maybe the little old lady he helped carry her groceries and tend to her hanging garden. He certainly hoped the stray cats he fed would miss him, and he'd been sure to leave out one last bowl of food out for the crafty critters he so adored.

Stein and Sid waved him off, and the blond was gone.

No one would miss him. But he would miss them.

A single person walked up the steps of the DWMA, knee high boots making little to no sound on the worn stone. The blond came to a stop at the top and took in the sight of the school, hands in the pockets of his white trench coat. He breathed in, and breathed out.

Almost a year had passed since he'd been here, standing at the top of the stairs, looking at the glorious school of the grim reaper. It was early enough that very few students were there, which was why he had come so early.

"So, has it changed at all?" Standing taller than the blond, the other boy grinned and leaned over his companion. His jet black hair hung in gentle waves over his silvery grey eyes, though it did little to cover the long, angry scar on the right side of his face.

"That crater is new."

"You're hilarious. Come on Hiro, I wanna meet Death himself."

Hiro shook his head and brushed his weapon's hair away from those silvery eyes he'd learned to love. He barely noticed the scar anymore, but his fingers still traced over it, remembering the terror he'd felt that rainy night. He took a step towards the school, smiling at the black haired boy.

"Alright. Let's go before we're late."

"Lead the way, I'll follow you. Or maybe I won't. We'll see."


	2. Chapter 2

**I have actual work to do and yet this is what I'm doing. At two a clock in the morning. How productive. This is the second part of the story, enjoy.**

 **I don't own Soul Eater, just my own characters.**

"I can't believe you actually used to go here."

Hiro sighed, ignoring Roukia's stream of questions and complaints about the school. He wondered how the guy could come up with a complaint after only being inside for five minutes. Spotting Sid coming their way, he faked a smile and gave the zombie a small wave.

Sid passed them by without a second glance. The blond could feel his self doubt coming back in bucket loads. Almost as if he knew, Roukia placed a hand on his miester's shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. The doubt slipped away almost immediately.

"Come on, Death Room is this way right?"

"Y-yeah." Hiro followed after the black haired weapon, glancing back at Sid until they were around the corner and he couldn't see the zombie anymore. It was time to come back, there was no backing out now. They were already here after alll, and it would be pathetic to go back home. He was done running.

Walking down that guillotine hallway brought back memories, some he'd rather stayed hidden. Being bullied, beaten up, used as Black*Star's punching bag, all the verbal abuse he had suffered for. He supposed he deserved some of it for all his failures. Still, fear had wormed its way into his soul.

"Hiro." Roukia was looking down at him, concern in his eyes, and Hiro attempted to put on a brave face. It came out more like a grimace. "Hey, Hiro, don't worry about what happened here in the past, ok? You've got me now, so you won't be alone. And...if you think this isn't gonna work, then I'll drive us back to France so fast it'll be like we flew. And we'll never look back."

The blond couldn't help but to laugh at that, though his mirth dropped a moment later.

"I'm ok. I think. Let's just go, before I get too nervous."

"If you say so."

Hiro regretted coming back the moment he stepped into the Death Room. Lord Death had immediately started in on how it was good that the blond had returned, with a weapon no less. Then there was Spirit to deal with, who had insisted on digging up Roukia's less than perfect record, and none if the teachers made it easier either.

Stein had supported them though, and after his consent none of the others seemed to have the guts to say no to the wayward partners. Spirit had then, begrudgingly, given them the green light, and from there it was simply minor paperwork.

By the time they were done with the paperwork and getting their ID's it was only halfway through second class. Roukia insisted that they tour the school, and that brought them to the sit out in the front, waiting for third class to start. Hiro had been nervous about seeing any of his old "bullies" but so far everyone seemed to be avoiding them. Until, of course, their luck ran out (as it always did).

"Hiro! I heard you came back." He turned to find himself faced with the very person he'd been fearing; Black*Star. The assassin was grinning, as per usual, with Tsubaki by his side, mouthing an apology. Behind the pair, Death the Kid and Maka were speaking, their weapons seeming to be arguing.

"Uh yeah, figured a year was long enough of a vacation." Hiro leaned back, panic fluttering his chest. He could still remember the pain this weirdo had put him through. "Plus, finally found someone stupid enough to pair up with me."

An amused snort came from said stupid person, and the blond fought to keep from making a childish comment about the undignified noise. Roukia stood up from where he'd been sitting and leaned over Hiro's shoulder, smiling wickedly at Balck*Star.

"Nice tattoo. Get it at a toy shop?" Anger flared up in the blue haired teenager's eyes, and Hiro instinctively reached for the small knife he kept in his jeans pocket. He hated having to use it on someone, but the memories he had of Black*Star weren't the best. Most of them were full of pain and humiliation. "What kind of costume party are you going to anyway? You look nice as a clown."

Oh no.

"Why you - no one insults the great Black*Star! I'm the man that will transcend the gods! Tsubaki, we're gonna teach 'em a lesson about respecting the greatest man ever!"

"Now you've done it." Hiro mumbled, elbowing his weapon in the stomach. "Black*star, why don't you calm down. He didn't really mean it. He's just an ass, really."

Of course, the blue haired idiot wasn't even listening, screaming for Stein so they could battle. Other students began to crowd around, whispering to each other and pointing at Hiro and Roukia.

"Hiro's back? He looks different! Like, he looks decent for once. I love those boots."

"That's way too much heel for one guy."

"His hair is longer, does it look darker to you too?"

"He should've stayed away. Now he's gonna get his ass kicked, like usual."

"Who's the new guy?"

"What an awful scar! I feel so bad, it must be hard to get a date with such an ugly thing like that!"

"Did Hiro get a weapon? The guy must be an idiot! Hiro is the worst!"

"Hey. Breath. Close your eyes and focus on me, not them." Hiro turned his head, finding himself staring into silvery eyes. He sank back, enjoying that warmth from Roukia's body. "Don't worry about what they're saying, they're all a bunch of idiots. We've got this. Even if we don't win, it's just another practice, ok? I'm not going anywhere, my angel."

Seeing the tall figure of Stein cutting through the crowd of curious students, Hiro rolled his shoulders back and nodded. He felt for his weapon's hand, breathing a sigh if relief at the feeling of the rough, labor worn skin of Roukia's hand sliding into his grip.

"Weirdo." He whispered back to the black haired male, grinning when he responded with another undignified snort and a half chuckle.

"Good to see you again Hiro, I'll be glad to have you back in class. Alright, Black*Star, Hiro, you know the rules - begin!"

"Roukia."

"Yep."

Roukia's form changed and shifted, his weapon form taking shape and falling into Hiro's waiting hands. He leaned the heavy warhammer across his shoulders, the weight familiar and welcome. He could see the surprise on Stein's face - and Maka, as she was next to the older miester.

"Let's kick some ass." Hiro grinned, tilting his head and taunting Black*Star with a waggle of his fingers.

"Let's knock out this asshole." Roukia howled, reflection showing in the shiny spikes decorating one side of the warhammer.

The two miesters charged towards each other, Hiro swung his weapon, and...

 **Cliffhanger. :)**

 **Tbh I was just too tired to finish the other half of this chapter. Don't worry, Hiro won't suddenly be strong enough to beat up Black*Star, it's only been a year in the story after all.**

 **And yes, Roukia is a giant ass warhammer. He also has a giant ass greatsword mode! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back for more Hiro - Roukia action! This chapter starts right where the last one left off. As I stated, Hiro hasn't gotten much stronger or better at fighting, it's just Roukia makes him a little more confident.**

 **Also Roukia has a rather monstrous temper and will probably end up punching someone soon.**

 **I don't own Soul Eater or any of these characters except for Roukia.**

Black*Star ducked underneath the hammer, feeling the air from the swing brush against his skin. He dived towards Hiro, slashing at him with Tsubaki's ninja sword mode. The blade missed flesh and instead caught in the long coat the blond was wearing.

Hiro twisted, then brought the handle end of his weapon down into the other miester's head, causing him to yelp and jump away, white fabric tearing as he pulled Tsubaki free.

"Damn it, I just bought this too." Hiro groaned, shrugging the jacket off and tossing it to the side. He could probably stitch it up later, as long as it didn't get any more damaged. Underneath the jacket he wore a tight, form fitting black shirt that was usually a part of his training outfit. It was a mesh material, which would make it harder to cut into the skin of his torso, though his arms were still unprotected.

The blond adjusted his grip on Roukia, watching Black*Star closely as he slowly crept around the assassin, stopping only when the stairs were in front of him and his opponent. Someone cheered for Black*Star, and the blue haired miester looked away for just a second...

Hiro took the chance and sprinted forward, swinging his warhammee upward, barely missing the ground - and made contact. The hammer head hit Black*Star in the stomach, making a dull sound as it did so. The assassin was flung backwards, hitting the ground just before the stairs.

Silence hung over the other students, suddenly awed by the fact that _Hiro_ of all people had just hit a guy like Black*Star. Speaking of which...the assassin was up again, looking a little more cautious as he eyed Roukia.

"Tsubaki, ninja star mode!" Hiro cursed bringing Roukia up fast in order to deflect the throw Black*Star made. The ninja star bounced right off the handle of Roukia's weapon form, though while the weapon was unharmed (just annoyed) Hiro now had a cut running down his arm.

Realizing the other wouldn't stop fighting just because of a little cut, the blond dashed away, just in time to avoid another throw of Tsubaki's weapon form. For a moment, he could hear the crowd, calling for Black*Star to "kick Hiro's ass" and insults aimed at himself.

Then Black*Star was suddenly right in front of him, swinging Tsubaki towards his head in her ninja sword mode.

For a moment, things seemed to slow down and grind to a halt, and all Hiro heard was a low rushing sound, like a far away flood crashing around in his head.

The next moment, and Hiro felt cold steel bite into the flesh of his temple at the same time his arms swung Roukia up and into the other miester's stomach, launching him across the court.

The cut on his head - just above his left eye, almost right on his temple - wasn't deep, but when he gingerly touched it his hand came away stained with red. Blood dropped into his eyelashes and obscured his vision for a red tinged second.

There was a pulse of concern from the soul of his partner, and Hiro tried to block out the pain from the cuts and reassure his weapon that he was fine.

"There's no shame in backing off when you're hurt." Roukia reminded his meister softly, sending another pulse of concern before he himself backed off. He knew his how stubborn the blond could be, he'd only stop once he was satisfied or something else came up.

Hiro heard his weapon, despite the unexpected softness of the other male's voice, and made a sound in acknowledgement. He adjusted his grip on Roukia and stepped forward; he wouldn't give up just yet.

Black*Star had stood up too, looking only a little battered. Though, Hiro noted with something akin to excitement, there was already a bruise forming where the ninja had been hit earlier in the battle. It brought some satisfaction that he'd been able to hurt the one who'd once bullied him.

"Heh, didn't think you had that much strength in you." Black*Star held his weapon out in front of him, now looking wary of the warhammer the blond held in such slender hands. "Or is that just your weapon's strength?"

Hiro didn't rise to the bait, though he wished he could spit back some sort of insult. He knew he wasn't very powerful without his weapon, without Roukia, but being stronger together was what they were supposed to be, right?

Neither miester moved, one having a silent conversation with his weapon, the other trying to figure out a way to attack without being clocked by a very heavy hammer.

Finally Hiro sighed, letting go and dropping his hands to his sides as Roukia jumped from weapon to human. He gracefully dropped down next to the blond, flashing a too big grin at the crowd around them.

"Look, you don't like me - and you're definitely not alone there - but I didn't come back just to be harassed again. If possible, I'd rather leave this place on good terms, with a death weapon at my side." He glanced over at Roukia, smiled when he saw the male giving him the biggest grin that betrayed how he felt.

"Lets call it a truce, ok?" Hiro took a step closer, closing the distance between himself and Black*Star, holding out his hand palm side up. "What do you say? Let's put the past behind us."

A hand grabbed his, shook it once, then let go.

"It's a deal. But you _have_ to tell me what was going on between you two." Black*Star motioned towards the duo, causing Hiro to feel the tiniest bit embarrassed. Turning his head, the blond could see Black*Star's friends making their way towards them.

"Sure, but some other time. We've...got some catching up to do. W-with school work; I was gone for a whole year." He joked, quickly pulling Roukia away with only an apology and a hastily said goodbye.

Hiro groaned and let go of his weapon the moment they were out of earshot. It had been a good idea, really, to end the would be battle on a truce, but Hiro hadn't thought Black*Star would take that as permission to pry into their lives.

"Hey, you know you could've just told him no, right?" Roukia threw an arm around his miester's shoulders, veering suddenly to guide them towards where Stein was waiting for them. "It's not his business after all."

"Nah, it's ok." Hiro looked behind them, then turned back to his weapon and crazy teacher, who were both looking at him, waiting for him to say something else. The blond resisted the urge to giggle at the look on his weapon's face, averting his blue gaze to watch Black*Star interact with his own group of friends.

"Like I said, I'd rather leave this place on good terms, and _not_ because I needed an out. That..." here he took hold of one of Roukia's labor worn hands in his own pale one.

"And I will walk out of here with you stronger than we went in."

"Sounds like a plan."


End file.
